The Orchid's Secret
by Nareie Healer
Summary: Lief, Barda and Jasmine go out on a quest to find a pearl white orchid that will help Sharn's illness. But there are troubles along the way...
1. Valkerie Trouble

Lief scratched his parched throat. They had been travelling for five days, water was going quickly in the heavy heat. Kree was flying ahead, looking for any sign of water. "Why are we doing this again?" Jasmine asked Barda, who was obviously annoyed. "Sharn needs that flower." Barda grumbled. "That's the seventh time you've asked me." Jasmine ignored him and kept walking. Lief glanced at Barda. He was right. His mother did need that flower, and the only way they could get to it was by foot. Suddenly, Kree's distant terrified squawks made everyone very alert. Lief drew his sword and held his breath. Then, just as quickly as they were heard, the squawks stopped. Jasmine's eyes widened as she opened her mouth to yell to Kree. Barda clasped a hand over her mouth quickly to avoid alerting what ever was out there. Jasmine struggled, but couldn't get out of Barda's grasp. A loud shout was heard, and a net fell on Lief. Then a bigger one fell on Barda. Suddenly all was black.

The aroma of a feast wafted into Lief's nose and caused him to stir. He was in a small bed in a hut. As reflex, his hands flew around his waist to check that the belt was still there. He exhaled in relief when he felt the leather under his fingers. Lief frowned. Barda and Jasmine were nowhere within Lief's vision. He quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the door, only to find them sleeping in front of the bed on the ground. Barda was already awake. "Best not wake Jasmine," He hushed when he saw Lief. "She needs the rest." Lief nodded and gestured for Barda to follow him. Barda gave him a quizzical look, but stood up silently and followed him anyway. Lief popped his head around the door. They weren't in the desert anymore, but on a grassy plain next to a large mountain. Huge Valkeries seemed to be gathered around an odd-shaped table, feasting on squirrel. "We might be next..." Lief breathed to Barda. Jasmine groaned loudly and turned over in her sleep. Lief's eyes widened at the noise. _Jasmine! _He thought angrily. The Valkeries turned, glaring at Lief and Barda with their narrow, emotionless black eyes. Barda quickly slipped back in the tent, but Lief stared back at them. "Hello." He said, choosing his words carefully, as if he said the wrong thing, they might attack. "I am Lief of Del, with my friends Barda of Del and Jasmine of The Forest." They stared blankly at him. "And we need to reach that mountain." He pointed to the mountain behind them, but they did not turn, they kept their gaze fixed on Lief's belt. Lief made a grab for the belt. _What would they possibly want with my belt? _Slowly, he reached for the emerald. It had paled a quite dull colour.

**The Emerald, talisman and treasure of the Dread Gnomes, dulls in the presence of evil, and when a vow is broken. It is a remedy for sores and ulcers, and is an antidote to poison. It symbolizes Honor.**

_It is surely a dull colour, but not in the presence of the Valkeries... _Lief frowned. Something was wrong. Very wrong.


	2. Creatures Of The Desert Sea

The ground seemed to ripple under his feet. Lief's body flew back, straight into the tent where Jasmine and Barda were shrieking in terror. The Valkeries screeched and disappeared when their driftwood table slipped under the mound of quicksand it stood on. Lief tried to stand up to help Barda and Jasmine but he found he couldn't move his legs and feet. Quick sand! Barda lifted the tent off of him and Jasmine as Jasmine struggled to kept on her small bed of cloth. _Why isn't Jasmine's bed sinking? _Lief wondered. His thoughts vanished as he heard a familiar voice screaming out to him. "LIEF! Get on to the tent!". The sand swirled to make it harder to move, it was like in a big quicksand whirl pool. But surprisingly, it was getting easier to move. Lief started to swim/helplessly kick towards Barda and Jasmine. Filli jumped up and down, squeaking madly on Jasmine's rigid shoulder. Kree was circling above. Suddenly, Lief had a horrible thought. The dull colour of the emerald must have not ment this. That means... They were not alone.

The rumbling grew louder as six large beige worms rose out of the quicksand. They opened their mouths to reveal rows of large, pointed teeth. "BARDA! JASMINE! WATCH OUT!" Barda dived out-of-the-way as a worm snapped at his feet, only to have swallowed a mouthful of quick sand. Jasmine had turned pale from all the confusion and looked like she was going to pass out right there on top of her slowly sinking cloth bed. Lief finally made it to Barda and Jasmine only to find that the tent was sinking. This was not good. Not good at all.

Suddenly, a large roar escaped from the ground. The biggest, and most ear-splitting one ever. Everyone gaped in horror as they watched a ginormous jet black being rise about ten metres away from them. "Why are you here and what is your business?" The being boomed. The sound of his voice made one's ears holler in pain. At first, Lief was too shocked to answer. If they had to fight this monstrosity, It would be the quickest death ever.


	3. The Disappearance Of Jasmine

The being seemed to frown. He repeated his question in a more louder and angrier tone. "Why are you here and what is your **business**?" He said business in a tone that Lief didn't like. _This being seemed to get annoyed easily._ Lief cleared his voice and felt for the rush of courage as he fingered for the diamond on his belt. "We need to get to **that **mountain**." **Lief emphasised 'that' and at the same time pointed to the mountain behind one of the tunneling worms. A growl escaped the being's mouth. "No one gets to MY MOUNTAIN!" He yelled, raising his arms as if to squish Lief. Lief watched, wide-eyed in horror as the being scooped them up and dangled them above the swarming worms - who seemed to be eager to eat. Jasmine shrieked and tried to get a better grip on the monster's scaly hand. "Plan, Lief?" Barda asked Lief, his face as terrified as Jasmine's. "Try to avoid the teeth..." Lief bit his lip, not knowing if that would even help. "That's all you have?! Do you even expect us to live the drop?" She shrieked at Lief, waving her arms about like a madwoman. Lief felt the grip loosen as the being got ready to watch them fall. "No one crosses my land and survives!" He shrieked in delight as he watched them struggle. Then suddenly, they all slipped through his hands and fell. Plummeted to their doom. Waited for the horrible crunching of bones.

Falling seemed to take forever. Lief could see Barda and Jasmine, as helpless as he, as they fell beside him. He frowned as he tried to remember what his mother had said. As the worm's open mouths rushed up to greet them, Lief braced himself for the impact.

The worm's stomach was damp and musty. Barda's hand clamped tight on his own nose as he struggled to stand up. "It stinks down here." He groaned, sounding funny because he was holding his seemed as though he was going to pass out. Lief tried not to breathe in the rotten stench of worm. Barda looked around him then quickly grabbed Lief's shoulder. He let go of his nose to talk properly. "Where's Jasmine? She was quite far from me when we fell." Lief frowned. _Was it possible that she had fallen farther than them? Could they take the risk to go look for her? Or was she in one of those other worms?_ Lief and Barda tumbled back onto the squishy worm's stomach as they felt the worm start to dive back down into the sand. A heap of dull quicksand landed on a heap beside them. Lief got back up quickly to avoid the smell of the stomach. Suddenly, a familiar voice seemed to echo in his mind. he tried to make out the words. _If you call the opal dragon using the opal, the opal dragon will come to help you. _Lief turned to Barda. "Are you sure about that?" He asked him. "Sure about what, Lief?" Barda looked puzzled as he tried to remember what L:ief was talking about. Lief bit his lip. _Was that Barda talking?_ His fingers trembled as he held the opal on the belt under his shirt. _This better work... _Lief thought.


	4. Meeting The Opal Dragon

Nothing happened. Lief slowly took his hand off the belt. He didn't even know if there were dragons. Josef has been talking about them, but that crazy old librarian could be just mumbling about old rubbish. Plus, he might have to like call it in a special way or something. What would its name be anyway? A name came to him that he heard Josef babbling on about. He said something about the opal dragon being called **Hopian. **Lief frowned and touched the opal again. _**Hopian! Awake! Come to my aid! **_He thought strongly. In no time at all, he heard a soft voice echo in his thoughts. _**What may you need? I am coming. **_Lief nearly stumbled. He didn't actually know there would be a reply. Barda rushed over to Lief. "Lief! Are you okay?" "Yes..." Lief steadied himself. _Nothing seemed to happen..._ His thoughts disappeared as he heard a loud chilling shriek and the gnashing of razor-sharp teeth.

Lief and Barda's eyes drew down to slits as the worm was torn open. They had been in the dark so long, the blaring sun hurt their eyes. Flying directly in front of them was a multicoloured opal dragon. It seemed confused at Lief's appearance. Lief and Barda quickly scrambled to the top of the bleeding worm to avoid falling into the quicksand. **_Where is dragonfriend? I heard him calling._**Lief frowned. Dragonfriend? Who was he? **_I know nothing of Dragonfriend._**He thought to the dragon. The dragon growled. **_What have you done with dragonfriend? Where is he?_**Lief and barda took a step back as the dragon roared. "We better get out of here quick..." Barda whispered to Lief. "Wait." Lief stepped forward. **_I am Lief,_**He thought, _**King of Del. I have acquired this belt from a blacksmith, and I am not lying. I do not know dragonfriend.** _At these words the tense dragon seemed to calm down. **_Where may you need to go?_**Lief smiled and said. "The mountain." The dragon glaced at the mountain then landed so Lief and Barda could hop on. Lief climbed up. Barda, who was very confused, stopped Lief. "Wait a second. We are just going to trust this dragon?!" Lief nodded. "But, but, what about Jasmine? And... What if you fall off? Think about that Lief!" Lief grinned and gestured for Barda to hop on as well. Barda sighed. He knew it was useless to argue. So, following Lief, he jumped onto the dragon's back.


End file.
